Automate order updates with EDI Duplicate Management

Imagine this: you have a seamless EDI connection with your customer. But what happens when that customer sends an update to an order that is already in process? Whether you want to make those changes to the order can vary from situation to situation and from field to field. Previously, the WMS only supported the ability to determine by order status whether to process the entire order update. But with the advent of EDI Duplicate Management, you have the control to determine per situation and per field whether the change is allowed. All without the intervention of an employee!

How does EDI Duplicate Management work?

The term says it all. Is a full order update not desired? But only certain fields need to be updated? Then you can use EDI Duplicate Management to automatically create a duplicate order when processing the update message. This duplicate order is linked to, and compared with the original order. Based on your configuration, if allowed, the fields on the original order are automatically updated. This is done without manual intervention, eliminating unintentional errors. You can specify for each field whether a change is allowed or not. Fields for which no setting has been made are ignored during the update. If there are changes that are not allowed but should be viewed, you can perform an action on the duplicate order, such as changing the status.

Duplicate as Additional Status Template

Now you are familiar with EDI Duplicate Management. But where can you set it up? For this we go to the status templates. As you can see in the picture below, in addition to the existing options “Update” and “Error”, an additional option has been added: “Duplicate”.

For each status in which you select “Duplicate”, specify how the duplicate order should be created. Here you can define a specific order type (including the process for different statuses) and a format for the external document number. In the example below, this is %1-%2. This is the original external document number followed by an incremental number (version 1, 2, 3, etc.).

Setting up Compare Scenarios

Do you want to compare the duplicate order with the original order? You can set up one or more Compare Scenarios. In a Compare Scenario, you use filters to define the situation to which the scenario applies. For example, based on a status filter or an order type. You can then specify whether the change is allowed or not for each field of the document header, row, and detail rows. Any fields you do not specify will be ignored during the update.

How does this work in practice?

To illustrate this better, we have an example for you. In the image below, for orders with order type “STANDARD” in status 25, changes are allowed in the document header for the fields Sender, External Reference, and Submission Date. However, changes to the Inco Terms Code are not allowed. All other fields are unspecified and will be ignored.

Does the duplicate order contain only changes that are allowed? Or does nothing need to be changed? Then the function that is set for “Change Allowed” is performed on the duplicate order. In this case, the duplicate order is moved to status 90-PROCESSED. If there is a change that is not allowed, such as Inco Terms Code in this example, then the status of the duplicate order is changed to 50-CHECK-BACKOFFICE.

Make changes automatically and still maintain control?

A Compare Scenario can be run manually or on a task queue basis. The idea behind EDI Duplicate Management is that all approved changes are processed automatically. Without human intervention. Only if there are unauthorized changes, an employee can pick them up. The employee can then manually run the Compare Scenario again. A comparison screen is then opened where the employee can view the original and new values. Based on this, the employee can decide, either alone or in consultation with the customer, whether or not to make the change.

Webinar: Transform the way you work and collaborate with EDI

Would you like to dive deeper into the world of EDI? Watch a 30-minute webinar as we explore how EDI can streamline your operations and greatly improve the efficiency of your communications, from order entry to invoice processing. By analyzing three real-world scenarios, we will illustrate the tangible benefits that EDI offers not only to your customers, but also to you as a logistics provider. Intrigued? Watch the webinar here.